Analysis of the behaviour of stainless steel bolted connections

This study is focused on two types of bolted connections that are common in steel structures. They concern cover plate connections and T-stubs, where the bolts are loaded in shear or in tension. The Eurocode 3 requirements for stainless steel connection design are essentially the same as for carbon steel. The study considers the case of austenitic stainless steel for which the conventional elastic limit is relatively low compared to the ultimate strength. In bearing, criteria on deformation limits have to be considered for cover plate connections. In T-stubs, strain hardening of stainless steel exhibits a continuous increase of the applied load and can influence the failure mode. A finite element model is developed and validated for the two types of connections. A more extensive parametric study should be carried out to develop a better understanding of the behaviour of stainless steel connections.